morningstar excerpt 1.pdf

Your Complete Guide to Transition

Planning and Services

Excerpted from Your Complete Guide Planning and Ph.D. Ph.D.

Excerpted from Your Complete Guide to Transition Planning and Services

Your Complete Guide to Transition Planning and Services

by
Mary E. Morningstar, Ph.D.
University of Kansas
Lawrence
and
Beth Clavenna-Deane, Ph.D.
Keystone Learning Services
Ozawkie, Kansas

Contents

  1. I'm Responsible for Transition Planning . . . Now What Do I Do? ..... 1
    Getting Started: Learning the Basics of Transition Planning and Services ..... 2
    Key School Personnel: The Secondary Special Educator and Transition Coordinator ..... 3
    Making It Happen: Implementing Effective Transition Programs and Services ..... 6
    Transition Assessment ..... 7
    Transition Planning ..... 8
    Family Involvement ..... 8
    Student Involvement ..... 8
    Transition-Focused Curriculum and Instruction ..... 9
    Interagency Collaboration and Community Services ..... 11
    Systems-Level Infrastructure ..... 11
    What You Can Do Right Now: Putting Ideas Into Action ..... 12
    Chapter Appendix 1: Skills and Knowledge Checklist for the Transition Specialist ..... 13

  2. Transition Planning From Compliance to Quality ..... 21
    Getting Started: Understanding the IDEA Requirements for Transition ..... 21
    When Transition Planning Starts ..... 22
    Who Is Involved in Transition Planning ..... 23
    Writing Transition Individualized Education Programs ..... 27
    Interagency Collaboration ..... 36
    The Age of Majority and Transfer of Rights ..... 36
    The Summary of Performance ..... 37
    Making It Happen: Creating Quality Transition Planning Approaches ..... 38
    Understand that Transition Is a Process ..... 38
    Keep the Student Actively Involved in the Process ..... 40
    What You Can Do Right Now: Putting Ideas Into Action ..... 40
    Online Resources ..... 43

  3. Student-Directed Planning and Involvement ..... 45
    Getting Started: Defining Self-Determination and the Student's Role in Transition Planning ..... 46
    Making It Happen: Supporting Student Self-Determination ..... 48
    Selecting Self-Determination Curricula ..... 50
    Assessing Self-Determination ..... 52
    Data Collection and Evaluating Student Progress ..... 54
    What You Can Do Right Now: Putting Ideas Into Action ..... 54

  4. Family Involvement: Engaging Families During Transition ..... 67
    Getting Started: Why Are Families So Important? ..... 68
    When Are Families Involved in Schools? ..... 68
    Understanding the Family Systems Framework ..... 69
    Making It Happen: Supporting Families During Transition ..... 77
    Create Welcoming Places ..... 77
    Increase Family Involvement ..... 78
    Understand Cultural Reciprocity to Develop Partnerships with All Families ..... 83
    What You Can Do Right Now: Putting Ideas Into Action ..... 84
    Online Resources ..... 89

  5. Transition Assessment: The Cornerstone of Transition Planning ..... 91
    Getting Started: Defining Transition Assessment ..... 92
    A Comprehensive Process ..... 92
    Individualized Education Programs and Transition Assessment ..... 93
    Making It Happen: Implementing a Student-Centered Transition Process ..... 93
    Types and Approaches to Transition Assessment ..... 94
    Implementing the Transition Assessment Process ..... 98
    Building a Transition Assessment Toolkit ..... 100
    What You Can Do Right Now: Putting Ideas Into Action ..... 105
    Online Resources ..... 109

  6. School Engagement: Keeping All Students in School ..... 111
    Getting Started: Understanding Student Engagement ..... 112
    The Consequences of Dropping Out ..... 112
    Defining Student Engagement ..... 113
    Making It Happen: Strategies to Promote Student Engagement ..... 116
    Consider "The ABCs of Disengagement" ..... 117
    Create Multi-tiered Systems of Support ..... 117
    Use Data to Keep Students on Track ..... 120
    Use Proven Interventions ..... 124
    What You Can Do Right Now: Putting Ideas Into Action ..... 131

  7. Inclusion in General Education: Strategies for Embedding Transition Into Academic Content ..... 135
    Getting Started: Understand That Access to the General Education Curriculum Is Critical to Transition Outcomes ..... 136
    Learn the Role of the General Education Teacher in the Transition Individualized Education Program Meeting ..... 136
    Understand the Common Core and Other State Standards ..... 137
    Making It Happen: Embedding Transition Skills Within Core Academic Content ..... 138
    Provide Access to the General Education Curriculum ..... 140
    Provide Instructional Supports for Learning: Accommodations and Modifications ..... 141
    Access the What, How, and Why of Learning Through Universal Design for Learning ..... 142
    Use Assistive Technology to Support Learning and Transition ..... 144
    What You Can Do Right Now: Putting Ideas Into Action ..... 145

  8. Preparing for Employment and Career Development .....147
    Getting Started: Planning for Careers .....148
    Effective Career Development: An Evidence-Based Practice for All Students .....148
    The Stages of Career Development .....150
    Making It Happen: Building a Quality Career-Development Program .....151
    Coordinate a District-Wide Career Development Team .....152
    Build Programs Aligned With the Components of Career Development .....152
    Meet the Requirements of a Work-Based Learning Program .....161
    What You Can Do Right Now: Putting Ideas Into Action .....162
    Online Resources .....164
    Chapter 8 Appendix: Helpful Forms for Your Career-Development Program .....165

  9. Preparing for Postsecondary Education .....169
    Getting Started: How Does High School Compare With Postsecondary Education? .....171
    Shifts in the Law and Access to Services .....171
    Shifts in Responsibilities .....172
    Developing Self-Advocacy and Self-Management .....173
    Making It Happen: Preparing Students for Postsecondary Education .....175
    Overview of Prerequisites .....175
    Postsecondary Survival Skills .....177
    What You Can Do Right Now: Putting Ideas Into Action .....184

  10. Preparing for Independent Living and Inclusion in the Community .....185
    Getting Started: Why Should Community Living Be Considered an Important Postsecondary Outcome? .....185
    Making It Happen: Preparing Youth for Community Living .....188
    Teach Self-Determination Skills .....190
    Teach Independent Living Skills .....191
    Teach Social Skills .....193
    Support Participation in Community Experiences .....194
    What You Can Do Right Now: Putting Ideas Into Action .....198
    Online Resources .....199
    Chapter 10 Appendix: Ecological Inventory and Task Analysis Forms .....200

  11. Preparing for Interpersonal Engagement .....203
    Getting Started: Interpersonal Engagement and the Impact on Student Success .....204
    Making It Happen: Increasing Interpersonal Engagement .....206
    What You Can Do Right Now: Putting Ideas Into Action .....220

  12. Working With Outside Agencies: Implementing Practices to Promote Interagency Collaboration .....223
    Getting Started: Understanding Interagency Collaboration .....224
    Making It Happen: Building a Collaborative Approach to Transition Planning .....229
    What You Can Do Right Now: Putting Ideas Into Action .....241

References .....242

Index .....256

About the Authors

Mary E. Morningstar, Ph.D., University of Kansas, Department of Special Education, 1122
W. Campus Road, Lawrence, Kansas 66045
Dr. Mary E. Morningstar is an associate professor in the Department of Special Education at the
University of Kansas (KU), Codirector of the National Assistance Center on Transition, and Director of the Transition Coalition.

Beth Clavenna-Deane, Ph.D., Keystone Learning Services, 500 E. Sunflower Boulevard,
Ozawkie, Kansas 66070
Dr. Beth Clavenna-Deane has worked with secondary students with disabilities for over 25 years.

1 I’m Responsible for Transition Planning . . . Now What Do I Do?

Michael, a newly hired transition coordinator in a medium-sized suburban school district, is excited yet overwhelmed.

GETTING STARTED: Learning the Basics of Transition Planning and Services

For the past 25 years, transition planning and services have been required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA; PL 108-446).

Key School Personnel: The Secondary Special Educator and Transition Coordinator

Two types of school personnel are most often involved with transition planning and services: 1) secondary special education teachers engaged in IEP transition planning and 2) transition coordinators who ensure a coordinated set of activities as specified in the transition requirements of the IDEA.

Special Educator/Transition Coordinator Checklist

Secondary special educators Transition coordinator/Transition specialist
Prepare individualized education programs (IEP)s during transition planning. Train teachers to develop compliant and high quality transition IEPs and monitor IEPs to ensure compliance.
Support students by teaching skills needed to fully participate in their transition planning. Support teachers to know about and use evidence-based strategies for student involvement in IEPs.
Collaborate with families about upcoming transition planning meetings and gather input ahead of time. Provide resources and materials to teachers to help them engage with their families before, during, and after transition planning meetings.
Teach students with disabilities the skills they need to be successful post-high school. Share information and resources with school staff related to student engagement and effective strategies to ensure post-school success.
Collaborate with general education teachers to ensure students have access to general education curriculum and context. Collaborate with all school staff to provide resources and training related to improving access to general education and meeting the transition needs of students.
Ensure students understand their support needs and help them identify the accommodations they need to be successful. Provide information, training, and resources to school personnel, families, and students about post-school accommodations and services.
Collect data and progress monitor to ensure students are achieving identified skills, IEP goals, and objectives. Collect and monitor post-school outcomes data to evaluate student outcomes and make improvements to services.
Advocate for individual students and families when needed related to transition skills, experiences, and opportunities. Advocate for improvements to transition services with school and district administrators.
Provide information and resources to families and students about outside agencies and services. Provide information, resources, and training events about outside agencies to school staff and case managers.
Support families and students with the referral process to be eligible for community agencies and receive needed adult supports. Collaborate regularly with outside community agencies and other critical transition stakeholders.

Transition Assessment

Transition planning is at the center of a high-quality transition program and focuses on identifying measurable postsecondary goals for youth with disabilities based on a student’s interests, strengths, and preferences.

Family Involvement

Family members play a critical role throughout a student’s life.

Transition-Focused Curriculum and Instruction

Specific transition-related knowledge and skills are established predictors leading to successful adult roles.

Interagency Collaboration and Community Services

Interagency collaboration is a critical indicator of post-school success.

Systems-Level Infrastructure

There is much to think about when deciding where to concentrate your focus for transition improvements.

Putting Ideas Into Action

Now that you have an overview of some of the basic skills and competencies needed for working with secondary students, coordinating transition services, and the essential characteristics of a quality transition program, it’s time to apply that knowledge to your own work with transitioning youth.